Ethan Hawke is vocal about his views on tabloid scrutiny, so when he didn’t get the Jack Dawson role in Titanic, for which he auditioned, the actor said he didn’t fret much.
Sharing his reason, the star said he could not have handled the success if he had landed the role, as the movie became a cult classic and a breakout role for Leonardo DiCaprio.
“I don’t think I would have handled that success as well as Leo,” the 54-year-old admitted in an interview with GQ Magazine. “He was a ****** Beatle.”
To remain under the spotlight, particularly regarding his personal life, is something Ethan said he was not uncomfortable with.
He cited the example of his relationship with his former wife, Uma Thurman, which has been under scrutiny since they began dating in 1996.
“It’s humiliating. It’s almost humiliating even when they’re saying positive things,” he said, leading him to describe his equation with fame further. “I never self-identified as a ‘movie star’.”
“I was allergic to that. Having a trademark by my name and making a million dollars – that wasn’t part of my dream,” he noted.
In the meantime, Ethan has an array of projects in which he is set to star, including The Black Phone 2 and Blue Moon.
He will be featured on television in The Lowdown, a series loosely based on the life of activist and citizen journalist Lee Roy Chapman.
